Just Met You | Choni AU

30

Cheryl was now sitting quietly on the worn out sofa in the 'living room' of the trailer.

A can of soda was set out for her on the table, untouched.

Toni hurriedly went back inside to grab a t-shirt on herself, then tried to process what the hell she was supposed to say to her once she goes back outside.

She walked over to kitchen chair a few distance from the sofa, not wanting to invade Cheryl's personal space.

' Are you in trouble, Cheryl?' was the first thing Toni said, because it was the first thing FP would've said in situations like these.

Cheryl shook her head.

' No, it's nothing like that..I just --' Cheryl wiped away the tears on her face with her jacket sleeve.

' It's okay. You don't have to tell me.' 

' Don't you want to know why I'm here?' Cheryl looked up at her.

' It doesn't matter. I just want to make sure you're okay.' 

Toni didn't care about personal spaces anymore, she made her way over to the same sofa, a hand's breadth away from Cheryl.

' I had a , I had a fight with my father.' 

' Oh, Cheryl.' Toni sympathised.

And for the first time that night, Toni's hand stroked Cheryl's back.

Cheryl seemed to have cooled down by the touch as she took deep breaths, finally fighting the sobs that came her way.

' I know it's stupid but I just didn't know where else to go, I don't want to stay at home.' She said slowly, not wanting to sound shaky.

' It's okay. You can spend the night at mine, if you want to.' 

Cheryl turned her head to face Toni.

' Would that be okay with you?' 

Toni smiled reassuringly.

' Sure. I mean, it's not exactly a house but,...'

' I don't care. As long as I don't have to be back at that place.' Cheryl sighed.

Toni hesitated, but asked anyways.

' Do you want me to tell what happened?'

Cheryl, on the other hand, had been deciding whether or not to tell Toni about her father's role in today's events but that part of her that likes Toni is too scared to ruin what little she had with her. 

What if Toni thinks Cheryl was in on it too?

What if Toni doesn't want to be with the daughter of the man that tried to kill her?

Cheryl knew it was wrong. 

And yet, Cheryl was willing to be wrong.

' Cheryl?' Toni pulled her back into reality.

' It was stupid, It's nothing important.' She lied.

Toni nodded, brushing away the need to want to know.

' I'm sorry I'm bothering you with all this.' 

' Don't be. It's not your fault.' 

' Still, I feel guilty, and dramatic.'

Toni laughed softly, not wanting to sound rude.

' Seriously, I don't want to be a burden.' 

And the next thing she know, her hand was reaching out to hold Cheryl's.

' You can never be a burden to me, Cheryl. I promise you that.'

Cheryl smiled at that, it was the first time that she smiled that night.

' We should go to sleep.' Toni said after a few moments of staring into each other's eyes.

' We should.' 

[ 15 minutes later, on Toni's bed ]

' I still can't believe you don't have a makeup remover.' Cheryl said to Toni, getting cozy under the covers.

' I do, it's call water.' 

Toni replied, patting the extra pillow that she dragged out from the cupboard.

They had decided to sleep on the same bed, now that they no longer feel awkward with each other like before.

After turning off the lights, Toni climbed onto the bed, facing Cheryl, who was lying on her side.

' You look beautiful even without the make up.' Toni blurted out.

Cheryl grabbed Toni's uninjured hand from under the covers, then squeezed it tight.

' How's the hand?' Cheryl asked.

' It's still a little numb, but otherwise i'm good.' 

' You have no idea how worried I was today, Toni.' 

Toni turned on her back. 

' Usually when I do stupid things, I don't have people worrying for me, because the people that do, are in fact doing said stupid thing with me.' Toni said, referring to Sweet Pea and Fangs.

Cheryl gave a small laugh.

' Just like that time we sneaked into the ghoulies' house.' 

' That really felt like a long time ago, you know.' 

' Right, we were still strangers back then.' 

Toni turned her head. The dim moonlight from the windows illuminating their faces.

' Strangers who dragged other strangers into other people's houses?' 

' Shut up.' Cheryl rolled her eyes.

' That night, when we almost got caught, was the first time I felt the need to protect you.' 

' How so?' 

' My brain almost exploded from thinking of ways to keep you safe.' 

' I didn't need protecting.' Cheryl argued.

' Are you crazy? You've never been associated with ghoulies' before. I just didn't know what they'll do to a North Sider sneaking around their home. And honestly, I hoped to god I didn't.' 

' I'm sorry I was being stubborn that night.'

' I know you had your reasons.'

Cheryl said nothing, but Toni could hear her sigh.

' You're safe here, Cheryl.' 

' I know.' 

' Sleep now, I'll be here when you wake up.'

[ I am not going to let you ignore the fact that Toni called Cheryl beautiful.]